10 ways your internship abroad is worth the investment

There are a million different ways to spend your money. Why not make an investment that will change your life forever? Investing in an internship abroad will jump start your career and offer you an exciting international experience. Is it worth it? It’s the kind of decision that pays off professionally and personally, offering both adventure and work experience abroad.

1) You’ll establish a global professional network

Not only are you bound to meet interesting people from all over the world during your internship abroad, but starting your career in an international setting will help you connect with people from all over the world for years to come. For the rest of your life you will be able to relate to people more easily from around the world, making your potential professional and personal network much larger (and much more interesting).

2) You’ll earn professional foreign language skills

Do not underestimate the many benefits of speaking a foreign language. Just because you speak English, like 1.5 billion other people, there’s still another 5.5 billion individuals out there who speak different languages. Mastering a foreign language opens you up to new cultures and people. Moreover, speaking a foreign language will improve your job potential. Amid the rise of globalization, many workplaces favor individuals who offer foreign language capabilities. Along with the culture, travel and professional opportunities, speaking a foreign language has also been proven to increase cognitive ability.

3) You’ll earn a lifelong global perspective

Work experience abroad will provide you with a multicultural lens that will last the rest of your life. Investing in an experience that will open your eyes to more of the world early on will pay off exponentially as you will see each new experience of your life with this multicultural perspective behind you. Understanding how to deal with very real differences between cultures is the key to an open mind, tolerance and a fulfilling life.

By making a full assessment of your duties and projects at your internship abroad and considering the skills you improved or developed, you’ll be much more prepared to land a job when you get back home. Your internship will demand commitment and professionalism and improve your soft skills while also offering industry specific knowledge and training. After an international internship you’ll be more able to transition into a job you actually want after having earned pertinent global work experience.

5) You’ll earn work experience in your field at a top firm

Not only does international work experience attract a potential employer’s attention, but the quality of internships The Intern Group provides will also look impressive on a resume. Moreover, being placed at a top firm in the internship sector of your choice will teach you the real-world skills needed to perform your job.

6) You’ll understand how an international office works

Adjusting to a multicultural office takes patience, effort and commitment to communication. That’s why experience in an international environment is crucial to mastering how to talk through communication and cultural clashes. More over, learning exactly what international office culture looks like and demands will better prepare you for success in future professional settings.

7) You’ll improve soft skills

There’s a long list of important soft skills that you’ll improve by necessity when you take an internship abroad. Verbal communication, body language, problem solving abilities and more will be tested and bettered in an international work environment. Though these skills are deemed “soft”, they are essential to being a desirable employee.

8) World travel will become less daunting and more possible from now on

Once you spend a few weeks living in a foreign country, any other international experience will seem much more manageable. People who travel while young are more likely to continue to seek international vacation destinations or take a year off work to backpack around a new part of the world. Having taken that first leap to live in a foreign country alone will make you independent in international settings which will pay off through a lifetime of amazing international trips and experiences.

9) It’s about professional development

The great thing about The Intern Group internship abroad program is that your entire international experience is taken care of. With established housing, planned social events and internship coordinated beforehand, interns get to really use the experience to focus on their professional development and soak up the international experience.

10) You’ll be more likely to think outside the box

But that can be hard to realize if you haven’t spent any time outside the culture where you were raised. Even if you’re from a diverse city, each country has its established cultural ideals and standards that are difficult to work outside of. Experience abroad helps you understand that there are very different ways one can solve problems. You’ll start to realize that everything you’ve been taught is just one way to live in this world.

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Elizabeth Trovall

After short stints in Argentina and Belize, Elizabeth is finishing up her fourth year in Santiago, Chile. Elizabeth writes about international internships, life abroad and professional development for The Intern Group. She also reports on politics, business and culture in Latin America for public radio and print media. An Austin, Texas native, Elizabeth first left home to earn her journalism degree from the Reynolds Institute of Journalism at the University of Missouri. Besides her friends and family, she misses live music and Mexican food the most.